Being Human
by Kitana4
Summary: A series of one-shots set between episodes 5.3 and 5.4. Castiel is turned human, temporarily, due to a witches curse. I suck at summaries.
1. Basic Necessities

These take place between the season 5 episodes "Free to be You and Me" and "The End." I don't know how much time is in between the two episodes but for the sake of the one-shots it's a couple of months. Supernatural belongs to Eric Kripke. If I did own Supernatural then Destiel would have gone cannon a **long** time ago. Unfortunately while I do ship Destiel I can't write it. Though it could be there if you squint. Hope you enjoy.

* * *

_**Being Human**_

_**Basic Necessities**_

Dean half carried, half dragged Castiel from the abandoned factory in Nowheresville, USA to the Impala. He had no idea what kind of angel mojo or whatever the hell that was had been used but it had put Cass flat on his ass in an instant. Something which terrified Dean to say the least. Damn witches, he hated them all. Why did it have to be witches and where the hell had they learned that kind of magic? He knew witches drew their powers from demons but he'd never seen a demon pull that kind of stuff. Well there had been Alistar but he was a class in and of himself so he didn't really count.

Dean held Cass up so he could get the back door of the Impala opened and plopped the semi-conscious angel in the back seat. Going over to the driver's side Dean got in and tore out of the warehouse parking lot. He kept checking the review mirror but Cass had yet to move. At least he was still breathing; Dean could see the rise and fall of his chest.

Taking a breath to steady himself he brought the vehicle down to a less insane speed. Luckily for him Nowheresville just happened to be about half a day's drive from Bobby's which is where Dean decided the best place to go was. He hoped the older hunter was back from the job he was currently assisting another hunter on. A groan from the back seat drew his attention.

"Cass?" Dean asked, slowing the Impala and pulling to the side of the road.

Castiel sat up, "What happened? Where are we?"

Dean turned around in his seat. "Heading back towards Bobby's. How are you feeling?"

Castiel's eyebrows drew together in thought. "Tired?" he sounded very confused about that fact. "My head aches."

"Yeah well, you look like you were rode hard and put away wet." At the extreme look of confusion sent his way by the angel Dean said, "Forget it. Just lie back down." Castiel did so slowly and Dean started the car moving again. "Any idea what that was back there?"

"It was a spell." Castiel replied, he even sounded tired.

Dean knew that wasn't good. "Any idea what it's supposed to do?" Dean remembered the whole room going white from the witches spell and something hitting Cass. So far there didn't appear to be any adverse side effects other than the angels' tiredness.

"It was an Enochian spell but I do not…"

Dean heard a deep sigh from the back seat. When Cass didn't continue Dean's worry escalated. "Cass?" Still no answer. Dean pulled over again, put the Impala in park and twisted so he could get a better look at Castiel. The angel's chest was still moving, indicating he was breathing at least. Castiel's face was lax with sleep, his mouth slightly open as he drew breath. Dean let his forehead fall against the back of the seat. At least Castiel wasn't dead… yet. Dean didn't know what he would do if anything happened to his friend.

Rubbing his hands over his face, Dean groaned. This just wasn't his week, month, year, hell friggin' life time. Turning back around he once again started the Impala forward. Cass was essentially dead to the world at the moment so Dean knew he wasn't going to be getting any answers from him until he woke up. This was going to be a _long_ trip to Bobby's.

* * *

Castiel hadn't woken up until they pulled into Bobby's. Dean helped his friend inside to lay down on the makeshift bed in Bobby's study. At least Castiel was beginning to look a little better, his color had returned at least.

"Care to tell me what happened?" Bobby asked as he wheeled in after them.

"I wish I knew. We were taking care of a witch when she cast this spell and it kinda…" Dean gestured vaguely with his hands, "I don't know but it hit Cass and he's been like this ever since."

"It was an Enochian spell," Castiel said from his place on the bed, eyes still closed. "I have never encountered a spell such as this."

"Do you remember what she said?" Bobby asked.

Castiel opened bloodshot eyes and carefully sat up. He still appeared a bit out of it. "She spoke of removing God's Grace and falling and…" Castiel's eyes went wide. A look of panic crossed his face. "I think her spell removed my grace I…" His voice lowered to a whisper. "I think she made me human."

"Wait, back up." Dean said. "How can a witch make an angel human?"

"I do not know."

Dean felt bad for his friend. He couldn't imagine going through what Cass was. "Maybe it's wrong. Spell's are usually meant to kill and since you're still here…"

"Possibly…" Castiel didn't sound too certain.

Bobby wheeled over to his stacks of books and began to rifle through them. "You said it was an Enochian spell?" Castiel nodded. Bobby pulled down a particularly large leather bound book and rolled over to his desk. "Give me a few hours and I'll see what I can find."

Castiel only nodded again. "Thanks Bobby," Dean replied for him. Poor guy looked like he was about to drop. Who knew turning human would be so tiring. Reaching down he hooked an arm under Cass. "Come on," he said, hauling the angel to his feet.

"Where are we going?" Castiel asked.

"Upstairs," Dean replied. "Since we don't know how long this is going to last and Bobby will be busy for a while there's nothing for us to do. _You_ look like you're dead on your feet. Might as well rest where you'll be comfortable."

Castiel looked like he was about to protest. Probably going to say something about not needing to rest. After helping Cass upstairs and into the guest bedroom he helped the angel out of his trench coat and suit jacket. Dean probably wouldn't admit it but seeing Cass like this scared him. Cass was supposed to be the bad ass Angel of the Lord. Nothing should be able to put him down like this. Cass was out again the second his head hit the pillow.

Dean stayed and watched over him before heading downstairs to see if Bobby had found anything. The older hunter had a large ancient looking tome in front of him. "Did you find anything?" Dean asked as he approached Bobby.

"Maybe," Bobby replied, "I've got a book here I could use feathers help to translate but if _my_ translation is correct then I may have found something." He turned the tome so Dean could see it better. "This whole book is written in Enochian and what little there is I can translate was done by someone else a long time ago so I can't be one hundred percent certain it's right." He pointed to an angel being held down by chains.

"My best guess is that whatever the spell was, was a binder, not something that would de-angel Castiel. This here," he pointed to a section of writings that wasn't Enochian, "is part of a demon spell. It's meant to turn their enemies into prey. It's very powerful and requires a powerful demon to pull off. Here's the thing, you mentioned a bright light?"

Dean nodded.

"That's actually a good thing."

"How can that be a good thing?" Dean asked. "White light is an angel thing. Usually exploding white light is a bad thing."

"Not in this case. Here it means the spell was incomplete."

"Bobby, Cass's mojo is gone."

Bobby shook his head. "No, he just can't get to it. As I said, right now white light is a good thing." He turned the book back around. "The spell only worked to a point. Cass is gonna be human for a while but his powers will come back to him over time."

"How much time?" Dean asked warily.

Bobby shrugged, "Couple weeks, maybe a month or two. Says here it will be gradual."

Cass wasn't going to be suck like this. Honestly that was probably the best news he'd had all day. "So what do we do now?"

Bobby leaned back in his chair. "Help him cope for the time being. He doesn't know how to be human Dean. He's going to need a friend. You could use one too right now."

Dean did _not_ want to get into a discussion with Bobby about his problems, especially if they related to Sam. That was still a sore spot for Dean. Though Bobby was right. He could use a friend and Castiel had wormed him way into that position. Dean wasn't going to abandon him. Hell, this could turn into a good thing. "Yeah, alright," Dean said with a nod. He had a good idea where to start.

* * *

Castiel slept the rest of the day and all through the night. When he did get up he made his way groggily downstairs. Dean was the first to spot him. His clothes were a mess, part of his face had wrinkles from the blankets pressed in and he had the worst case of bed head Dean had ever seen. Then again, Cass always seemed to have bed head.

"Hey there Sleeping Beauty," Dean said a little too cheerfully, "how you feeling?"

Castiel blinked at him. He was either slow on the uptake or Dean had miraculously sprouted a second head.

Castiel took a seat at the kitchen table, "Strange," he replied. "I have never felt tired before or…" he placed a hand over his stomach when it growled. "I believe I may be hungry and my throat is dry."

"You're probably thirsty too," Dean replied. "I can help you with both." He figured on something simple to start with. He poured a bowl of Lucky Charms. God love Bobby because, yeah, Lucky Charms, guilty pleasure. He also poured a cup of coffee and left it black. After grabbing a spoon and adding some milk to the cereal he gave them both to Cass then took a seat across from him. "Eat up."

Castiel eyed the food warily before giving in to his hunger and digging in. Dean watched him eat, trying to figure out how to tell him what Bobby had found. Castiel reached for the coffee, took a sip and promptly gagged. He put the cup down and glared at the offending liquid. Dean forced himself not to laugh. "Don't like coffee huh?"

Blue eyes looked up to glare at him. Oh yeah, Cass could tell Dean was laughing on the inside. "No, how do you drink that," he asked.

"Simple," Dean replied, taking a sip from his own cup. "Though for some it's an acquired taste."

Castiel returned to eating his cereal. Since he was obviously not going to drink the coffee Dean got up and got a glass of orange juice instead. That, at least, was something Cass liked.

Sitting back down Dean figured he may as well tell Cass what had been found. "I have some good news and some bad news for you," he said carefully.

Cass placed his spoon carefully in the bowl. Dean could tell he angel –man- was bracing himself for the worst.

Dean took a breath, putting his own up down. "The good news is that your mojo is gonna come back." He met Cass's gaze, saw the relief reflecting in his eyes.

"And the bad news?" Castiel asked warily.

"We don't know how long that's gonna take. From what Bobby found, and he said the translation isn't a hundred percent, you could be stuck like this for a couple of weeks or it could be months. We just don't know."

Castiel's gaze had lowered so that he was staring at his empty bowl. He was silent for a few minutes. Dean let him think, let him adjust to his situation. Finally Cass's eyes met his again. "What do I do now?"

"Short term," Dena felt giddy, not that he'd admit to it, at the knowledge that his plans cooked up the night before were going to go into use, "we get you some new clothes. You can't wear your holy tax accountant outfit the whole time you're stuck like this. Once you get cleaned up we'll go looking for things you can wear."

Castiel didn't appear to like that idea at first. Most likely because everything was going to be a constant reminder that he was human for the time being. Dean was going to find a way to cheer his friend up. He wasn't going to go for what could be months with an angsty angel. Nope, not going to happen.

"I'll be fun," Dean said with a smile.

* * *

Whatever Dean's idea of "fun" was Castiel did not agree with it. After he had eaten and cleaned up he and Dean had headed out to pick up some things he was probably going to need. Castiel was glad that Dean was helping him but he hated that he even needed it in the first place.

They had gone to a place called Wal-Mart. Dean said they'd go there because they would have everything they needed. Castiel took his word for it.

Upon entering the store Dean had grabbed a cart and immediately took Cass to the men's department. Honestly Castiel had seen nothing wrong with his attire. The thought of having to give it up due to his current powerless state unnerved him. Castiel didn't like it one bit.

He was pulled from his thoughts when Dean tossed a pair of jeans at him. Castiel caught them, the denim felt strange. Not at all like the material he currently wore.

"You're going to have to try those on," Dean said, continuing to look through the clothes. "I don't know what size you wear and I'm not about to check. Let me know how they feel and we can figure out whether you need to go larger or smaller."

Castiel simply stared at Dean. Was he expected to change here?

Dean sighed and pointed to his left. "There's a changing area over there." He made a flicking motion with his hands, "Go on, shoo."

Turning on his heel, Castiel headed for the dressing room. After the woman in charge of the dressing rooms told Castiel which one to use he found himself in a tiny space with a small bench and mirror. Taking a moment Castiel sat on the bench, pinching the denim between his fingers. It wasn't an uncomfortable fabric. He'd seen plenty of humans wearing it.

He shook his head slightly. Dean was waiting for him to try the pants on. It took no time to do so and Castiel saw how well they fit from his reflection in the mirror. Dean had chosen the perfect size. They were also, much to his surprise, quite comfortable.

He changed back into his normal clothes. He, perhaps, tugged his trench coat around his shoulders with a little more force than was probably necessary. The muscles of his shoulders flexed, trying to move something he could not feel anymore.

Picking up the jeans he headed back to where he'd left Dean. The hunter had added more items to the cart. "Well?" Dean asked once Castiel was close enough.

"They fit," he replied.

"Great," Dean took them, checked the tag, and then grabbed some more of varying shades and placed them in the cart as well. "I grabbed a couple of shirts too and…" his gaze went down to Castiel's feet, "Definitely need something besides those dress shoes. They can't be comfortable."

Castiel decided to stay silent. Dean had a point on the shoes. They tended to slide off the backs of his feet if he had to run. It wasn't often yet it was… annoying.

After acquiring various other clothing and personal hygiene items they went back to pick up a pair of boots for Castiel. They found a decent pair, according to Dean anyway, after some trial and error. Castiel didn't care much. What surprised him though was how much more comfortable some of the new items were. Maybe it had something to do with his newfound mortality.

They went over into the grocery area and Dean went through like a kid in a candy store, if Castiel had the saying right. The cart filled up quickly.

"I'm sure it'll take some experimenting to figure out what you like," Dean was saying. "Though there are some things you _have_ to try. Burgers, bear, soda, chips, pie. Definitely have to try pie. I wonder if you have a sweet tooth."

Castiel couldn't help but be amused by Dean's behavior. As they walked he fought to keep a smile from forming. And simply because he could he tilted his head to the side and asked, "Sweet tooth?"

Dean sighed dramatically as they walked down the candy isle. "Its' a figure of speech Cass. It means you like sugar. Candy, sweet foods."

"I see," he replied. His gaze travelled over the array of candies. For some reason, possibly a lingering memory from Jimmy, Castiel reached out for the York Peppermint Patties.

Dean caught the movement, "Good choice, throw those in." Dean grabbed some more candy. Something called a Reeses, and Hershey's Special Dark. Like many of the other items in the cart Castiel decided to trust Dean's judgment.

Once Dean concluded they had all of the items they'd come for they checked out. They packed everything into the trunk of the Impala then headed back to Bobby's. The drive back was quiet. Castiel watched the landscape go by.

"How are you holding up?" Dean asked suddenly.

Castiel tore his gaze from the passenger window to face Dean. "I'm fine," he replied.

"You sure?" Dean shifted slightly in his seat. He appeared uncomfortable. "I mean, this can't be easy for you."

"It has been less than a day Dean," Castiel reminded him. "Knowing my Grace will return shortly helps." It's the not knowing, being cut off from Heaven and having his powers lessen. That was hard. "You don't need to worry about me."

"If you say so."

"I do," Castiel replied. He was unsure of the emotion he felt at Dean's questions. Happy perhaps? It was good to know that Dean cared about his welfare. He knew that Dean cared deeply for those he deemed worthy of his friendship and trust. Not to say that he didn't care about others, Dean had a large heart after all. There was a reason Dean was the Righteous Man and it had nothing to do with what had happened in Hell. But to have those feelings turned towards him, Castiel was unsure what to make of it. He was not used to anyone caring for his well-being. It was a human trait, he knew, one he himself had learned quickly.

"Good," Dean said, nodding slightly. His mind appeared elsewhere. "That's… good."

Inwardly Castiel smiled.

* * *

After returning to Bobby's and unloading the Impala, of which Dean glared at Bobby before the older hunter could comment on the amount of items bought, they took Castiel's new things up to the spare bedroom. Considering they were still trying to figure out the full effects of the witches spell Dean thought it best to stay put for the time being.

Castiel looked confusedly at the array of items laid out on the bed. "Dean, what am I supposed to do with all of this?"

Dean rubbed his hands together. "The clothes you wear," his tone of voice clearly conveyed the 'duh!' "Since you won't be able to mojo yourself clean you're going to have to shower and do everything else us lowly mortals have to." He clapped Cass on the back. "You'll figure it out. And if you don't you can always ask."

Castiel simply continued to stare.


	2. Angel Showers Bring

Just to let people know, other than **Basic Necessities** these don't go in any particular order. This one-shot seemed to take on a life of its own. Hope you enjoy.

* * *

_**Angel Showers Bring… **_

Castiel stood in the upstairs bathroom of Bobby's house, new clothes in hand and preparing himself to take a shower. It was just one more thing to remind him of his powerless state. At first he hadn't though it necessary but with the hot weather and humidity, while also making it very uncomfortable, had proven Dean's point about hygiene.

He'd woken up covered in sweat from the heat, his hair greasy and once he'd realized the foul odor was coming from him he'd decided a shower was in order. Dean had told him that showers could be relaxing. For some reason he doubted it.

He placed his clean clothes on the counter and looked to the razor and shaving cream then to his reflection in the mirror. Dean had made a passing comment at breakfast about starting to look like a mountain man. The hair along his cheeks and jaw had grown. Not a whole lot but if he didn't do something about it he was going to end up with a full beard. He didn't want that. Besides all of that extra facial hair _itched!_

Running a hand through his hair (ugh he felt disgusting!) and making it stick up more in the process, Castiel turned back to the shower.

The controls seemed simple enough. Hot, cold and a lever to make the water come out of the shower head. Castiel turned on the hot and pulled the lever, letting the water heat up while he got undressed.

Steam rose, slowly beginning to fog over the mirror. He pulled the curtain back and stepped in. Then nearly killed himself flying back out. He tripped over the edge of the tub, falling backwards to the floor. While humans did not have a tail they did have a tail bone and landing on it hurt. He was lucky he didn't crack his head open. The loud thud he made as he hit the floor most likely echoed throughout the house.

Now, not only did his arms hurt from trying to brace his fall, but his legs from the knees down were on fire. He sat up, seeing the skin on his lower legs had turned an angry red. He glared up at the shower, how did humans stand bathing in such temperatures?

"Cass," Dean's voice asked a second before the door opened, "you okay? I heard— Holy shit dude!"

Castiel twisted around to look at Dean only to get a towel thrown in his face. Dean's face nearly matched the color of Castiel's legs. Castiel wrapped the towel around his waist, feeling his cheeks begin to burn. Apparently the human concept of modesty and embarrassment had rubbed off on him.

With his back turned to Castiel Dean asked, "you okay?"

"Yes."

"What happened? Why are you on the floor?" The unspoken 'naked' hung in the air.

"I went to shower but when I stepped in, the water…" Castiel searched for the right words, finally settling on, "burned."

Dean hesitantly turned around. The fog in the bathroom had gotten thicker, even with the door opened. He helped Castiel to his feet. "Just how hot did you make it?" He asked, stepping around Castiel to test the water himself. He let out a hiss of pain, pulling his hand back quickly. "Geeze Cass, you're not supposed to make the water as hot as it can possibly go." He reached into the shower again, adjusting the controls.

"I did not want to shower in cold water," Castiel explained. While normally temperature did not affect him now that he was human temporarily, he had come to discover that he did not like being cold. At all.

"You use both the hot and cold to regulate the temperature," Dean explained. "How's that?"

Tentatively Castiel put his hand under the running water. While it was hot it was no longer at a temperature that hurt. "Much better," he replied. "Thank you Dean."

"No problem," Dean backed away. His cheeks were possibly redder now than they had been earlier. While his face was towards Castiel Dean's gaze was located somewhere over Castiel's shoulder. "If you need anything else, you know, just yell."

"I will."

"Try not to kill yourself this time." Dean left the bathroom, the door closing with a soft click.

Placing the towel beside his clothing Castiel turned back to the shower and climbed in. The water had cooled a bit since he'd checked it so he adjusted the controls for more hot water slightly. After a bit of trial and error he finally found a temperature he liked.

He quickly washed himself using the products Dean had bought for him. Something called Old Spice because, "Axe smells like ass and only douche bags use it," according to Dean.

He discovered, much to his dismay, that soap hurt when it got into your eyes. It also tasted awful. Not that he had been trying to eat it but what went into his eyes also went into his mouth. Why humans tortured themselves with such things was beyond him.

Deeming himself clean Castiel shut the water off and got out of the shower. He dressed, putting on a new pair of jeans and looking at the shirt he thought that perhaps he had grabbed one of Dean's by mistake. AC/DC was written in red stylized letters with a lightning bolt between the C and D. Shrugging, he put the shirt on.

His next obstacle was shaving. Unfortunately he no longer had access to Jimmy's memories. When he had been killed by Raphael Jimmy's soul had gone to Heaven. It had not returned when Castiel had been brought back. He could have used his vessel's knowledge. There were times when Castiel wished he had learned more from Jimmy. Especially when trying to understand Dean's pop-culture references.

Some things did linger though. He filled the sink with warm water. He squirted some shaving cream into his hand, watching the gel begin to foam once it was exposed to the air. Placing it over the area he planned to shave he rinsed his hands then began the task of removing the unwanted facial hair.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

After helping Castiel regulate the water temperature in the shower Dean had gone back down into the kitchen and gotten himself a cup of coffee. He may or may not have spiked it before sitting down at the table.

Dean had become concerned when he'd heard Castiel fall. He'd nearly had a heart attack when he'd opened the door to see Cass sitting naked on the floor. He felt his face begin got heat at the thought. Talk about an embarrassing moment. He shook his head, forcing the image from his mind. He _really_ needed to stop thinking about it.

Taking another sip of his not quite coffee Dean's attention was caught by the sound of footsteps headed towards the kitchen. He looked over just in time to see Cass walk in. It was weird seeing the angel wearing something other than his normal holy tax accountant getup. He knew he'd made a good choice in throwing in the AC/DC shirt.

Dean froze when he got a good look at Cass's expression. The angel looked like he was about to smite something. There were also little pieces of toilet paper dotted all across the angel's jaw.

Apparently his mouth missed the memo from his brain to shut up because, "Damn Cass, you get into a fight with a lawn mower?"

A pair of piercing blue eyes glared at him. Dean felt a shiver race up his spine. Cass may not have access to his mojo at the moment but he was still a scary son of a bitch.

Castiel pulled out a chair and sat, crossing his arms and continuing to glower. He looked… and why did 'adorable' come to mind?

"I was not involved in a fight."

"You sure? 'Cause your face begs to differ."

Castiel's gaze was fully trained on him now. _Smooth move Winchester,_ he thought. If anything his words seemed to make Castiel sulk even more. Wait a minute, Castiel was sulking! Dean had only meant to tease in fun. Surprisingly he found himself apologizing, "sorry."

"I have never been required to shave before Dean," Castiel sounded so defeated it made very protective instinct Dean had stand up and take notice. "Nor shower. I am glad you find my predicament entertaining."

And was that sarcasm? "No Cass that's not—" Yeah sure, he'd gotten a few laughs out of it but he'd never meant to hurt his friend. "I'm sorry Cass. I didn't mean… I was trying to cheer you up. You know me, I tease. I never meant to… hurt you."

Castiel's tense muscles seemed to loosen. "I know this and I… appreciate it Dean but," he uncrossed his arms, turning to lean against the table. "This," Castiel gestured to himself, "Is not me. Not really. Though I have grown accustomed to this appearance it is not me." His voice dropped to barely above a whisper. "It will never be me."

Dean had never thought about that. While he knew that Cass was processing Jimmy Novak (was the guy even still in there?) he was so used to looking at him and seeing Cass. Dean felt a pang of sadness knowing that he would never be able to see what Castiel really looked like.

Dean felt like a complete dick now. He also hated the air of sadness that had fallen over his friend. He knew he had to cheer Castiel up. That was his current mission.

"I know this sucks for you, royally. But, think of this as a learning experience. We know it isn't gonna last forever." He reached across the table, picking a piece of toilet paper from Cass's jaw. "And I may have made a mistake on just letting you have at it with a razor. Sorry 'bout that." And maybe the morning had been a disaster but he'd make it up to the angel. "There are so many things you can try. Being human can be fun, lots and lots of fun."

Also, since Castiel had mentioned his true form Dean's curiosity had been peeked, again. "About how you look. We both know I'll never be able to see it, not unless I want my eyes burned out." Which sucked because he was willing to bet good money that Cass looked freaking awesome. "Maybe you could, I don't know, describe what you look like to me."

Castiel's eyes lit up momentarily. He ran a hand over his face, dislodging all but a couple of pieces of toilet paper. His gaze fell to his hands. "I would not know where to begin."

"I have all the time in the world." Dean decided to firmly ignore the looming apocalypse.

Castiel remained silent. Dean decided not to push the matter. After what seemed like a long period of time Castiel began to speak.

"Angel's are genderless though we are able to take on a gendered appearance. We look like human's do in many ways."

"Do you have wings?" Dean knew it was a stupid question the second it passed his lips. "What I meant was, can you actually see them?"

"Yes," Castiel replied.

When Castiel didn't continue Dean found himself filled with suspense. "Dude you're killing me here. And that is a figure of speech." Dean leaned forward, knowing full well he was acting like an overly curious child but he didn't care. He really wanted to know what his angel looked like.

Wait, what?

Oh to Hell with it. He wasn't about to had a crisis about calling Castiel his. It was true, just as it was true that he belonged to Castiel. He even had the mark on his shoulder to prove it.

"I have always had a male appearance. Many of us tend to look like our true vessels."

"Oh," that was interesting information. "You stalling now because I still don't know what you look like. You haven't given me enough details. What's your true vessel look like?"

Castiel's lips twitched, almost like he was about to smile but stopped himself. "Jimmy is my true vessel."

"I'm confused now," Dean said. "I thought you just said that angels look like their true vessels."

"I said we tend to, it is not always the case. Michael and Lucifer do not look like you and Sam."

That was nice to know. It was kind of throwing Dean that while Cass had been the one to bring up his true form he hadn't really given him much to work with. All Dean could picture was how he looked now only with wings. This also seemed to be depressing Cass more than cheering him up.

"If you don't really want to talk about this Cass, you don't have to."

Castiel gave a brief nod before standing from the table and leaving the room.

That had not been what Dean was expecting.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

After putting on his coat Castiel left Bobby's house to wander the salvage yard. The light drizzle felt good against his skin. He didn't know why Dean's query into his true form had upset him so. Maybe it had to do more with the fact that he was more comfortable in this form, as if it had always been him, unlike his brothers and sisters who would change their forms to be that of their current vessel. Few kept their "normal" appearance. Castiel could never remember seeing himself as anything other than as he was now for an extended period of time. True while a few of his former vessels had been female he'd always felt uncomfortable looking any way other than himself.

Thinking on it there really was no reason for him to be as upset as he was.

A few parts of his face stung occasionally when it was hit by the rain. And then he realized his anger had come from. He was a celestial being. He has been alive for millions, even billions, of years and he didn't know how to do something as simple as shave? All of the knowledge he processed and none of it helped.

The rain had started to come down harder now. Castiel tilted his face up towards it. It felt refreshing, the smell of fresh rain mixed with the scents of the salvage yard was oddly relaxing. Now this was a shower he understood. Taking a breath and deciding he did not like the feel of wet clothes plastered to his skin he headed back to the house.

He was surprised to see Dean standing on the porch waiting for him.

Dean huffed a laugh, "You look like a drowned rat Cass."

"I in no way resemble a rodent, drowned or not." Mirth reflected in Dean's green eyes. "That was another of your figures of speech wasn't it?"

"Yep," Dean gestured towards the house with his head. "Come on, Bobby's back and he'd like your help with his research."

Castiel stepped up onto the porch, water dripping from his hair and clothing to puddle on the floor.

Dean shook his head. "Looks like you didn't need that shower after all." His lips twisted into a smile. "I'll get a towel."

Castiel looked up towards the heavens again and sighed.

* * *

**Another Note:** I do plan on expanding on Cass's true form but that's a story for another time.


	3. Sweet Tooth

_**Sweet Tooth**_

Castiel was standing beside Bobby while the two stood in the space leading from the study to the kitchen watching as Dean moved back and forth across the room. There were various dirty dishes along the counter. Yet that was not what had the angel and hunter transfixed, it was the amount of food on the table and taking over what empty space could be found along the counter.

Dean had just taken his latest creation out of the oven. The smell of apples and cinnamon drifted throughout the area. While Castiel had very little experience with food the smell was making his mouth water. He and Bobby continued to watch in stunned silence as Dean set another item on the table. The younger hunter stopped what he was doing. "What?" Dean asked.

"What are you doing?" Bobby asked.

"What does it look like?"

"It looks like you're makin' a mess of my kitchen, that's what."

"I'll clean it up," Dean said with a wave of his hand, causing a white powdery substance to leave small smoke like trails in the air. "Besides, there's a while world of food out there that Cass has to try and some things are way better when home cooked."

"You can cook?"

A shadow fell over Dean's face briefly. Castiel knew that Dean could cook. Having grown up the way he and Sam had Dean had needed to learn. Fast food and diners hadn't always been accessible. Dean had had to learn out of necessity. It was also something, Castiel noticed, the elder Winchester enjoyed. Not that he would ever admit it, despite all evidence to the contrary.

"Obviously," Dean turned back to his latest concoction, picking up the bowl and placing a bit of the thick substance inside on a spoon. Walking over to them he held up the spoon. "Open wide Cass."

"Why?" Castiel asked.

Dean rolled his eyes, "Just do it."

Castiel looked to Bobby, who shrugged, then back to dean who had the spoon held up expectantly. Castiel had a hard time denying Dean anything. Also the younger hunter had such a relaxed air and was in such a good mood that Castiel found himself complying. Dean placed the spoon in his mouth.

The first thing Castiel noticed was that the substance was creamy. Secondly was that it was sweet and left a very pleasant taste on his tongue. He took the spoon, quickly licking off the rest of the substance. "What was that?" he asked.

"Frosting," Dean replied, "vanilla actually. It's for the cake."

"You made cake?" Bobby asked incredulously.

"Yeah it's…" his gaze traveled over the various items in the kitchen, "well it's around here somewhere."

Dean began to rattle off a list of things he made. "I've got cake, chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, pie," his expression turned wistful, "mmm pie."

Castiel wasn't really interested in what Dean was saying. What he knew was that he wanted more of the frosting. He caught Dean's arm when the man started to turn back towards the kitchen.

Dean sent him a questioning look. When Castile took the bowl from Dean's hands Dean looked surprised. "Dude, I need that."

Castiel turned away from him, dipping his spoon back in and eating more of the frosting. He gave a happy hum when the flavor hit his tongue again.

"Cass," Dean reached for the bowl again and Castiel twisted away from him. "Damn it Cass, I need that for the cake."

Castiel moved further away from Dean. He had no intention of giving up his pilfered bowl. "You can make more."

Dean reached again and still was unable to take the bowl from Castiel. He caught sight of an amused look from Bobby. "I could," Dean agreed. "But if you eat that whole bowl you'll get sick."

That made Castiel pause, "Sick?" he asked.

"Yeah, stomach ache. Maybe even puking your guts out, sick."

That did not sound pleasant. He looked forlornly down at his bowl of frosting. He did not want to get sick. He had seen other humans suffer the symptoms Dean described. He didn't want to experience that. Taking another spoonful of frosting he reluctantly handed the bowl back to Dean. He stuck the spoon back in his mouth, enjoying the creamy goodness.

Since no more frosting was forthcoming, he would have to try the cake Dean planned to put it on. He decided to investigate what other items Dean had made.

Bobby wheeled in behind them. He inspected the various food items laid out before picking up a few of the cookies. When you're done getting in touch with your feminine side make sure you clean up your mess."

"I ain't getting in touch with my 'feminine side'." Dean groused.

Bobby didn't look convinced, "Uh huh, we'll discuss that when you start watching the food channel."

Dean pointed towards Bobby's study, "out!"

Bobby wheeled away. Dean had put the bowl of frosting down and when his back was turned Castiel swiped a finger through it. He smiled around his finger when Dean turned back, trying to look innocent. He failed.

"Try a cookie or something, geeze." Dean took the bowl again and began spreading the frosting along something black.

"What's that?" Castiel asked.

"Chocolate cake," Dean replied. "Seriously dude, try a cookie."

Castiel went back over to the table, inspecting the two different types. "Which one should I try?"

"Both," Dean wasn't looking at him. Continuing to spread the delicious frosting on the cake. "The ones on the left are chocolate chip and the ones on the right are peanut butter."

Castiel did as he was told. The chocolate chip cookies were still slightly warm. The cookie was slightly gooey and was better than the frosting he had tried previously. Afterwards he tried the peanut better. While it was good he preferred the chocolate ones.

He picked up a couple more before going over and watching Dean begin to clean up his mess. When Dean turned to him the hunter smiled. "Liked the chocolate chip cookies huh?" His lips were turned up in a smile.

"Yes, they are very good."

"I can tell." When Castiel sent him a confused look Dean motioned to his mouth. "You have…"

Castiel wiped at his mouth. Chocolate smeared on his hand.

Dean laughed. "Here," he picked up a wet towel and wiped Castiel's mouth.

Castiel tilted his head, confused by the gesture, "Dean?"

Dean started, seeming to realize what he was doing. His cheeks turned red. "That didn't happen," he said, throwing the towel into the sink.

Castiel licked the chocolate off his hand. Still yummy. He felt bad for making Dean feel uncomfortable. "What should I try next?"

Dean grabbed an item off the stove, holding it up almost reverently. "Pie," green eyes sparkled, "Must try the pie."

Dean abandoned his cleanup project to cut Castiel and himself each a slice. Apples and juices ran across the plate.

The scent of apples and cinnamon hit Castiel, making his mouth water again. Carefully he placed a small piece on his fork and took a bite. The sweet taste of the cinnamon sugar combined with the apples and their juices and the crust… This was nothing short of divine. The pie was still slightly warm. He remembered humans speaking of comfort food. This must have been what they were talking about.

"I know, absolutely sinful right?"

Castiel hadn't realized he'd closed his eyes until Dean had spoken. He took another bite, groaning in satisfaction when the taste hit his tongue. That seemed to be enough of an answer for Dean.

* * *

After cleaning up his mess Dean spent the rest of the day watching Castiel try various new deserts. He nearly lost a hand when he went to cut another slice of pie for the angel. Castiel couldn't seem to get enough.

He'd convinced Castiel to slow down his food intake. As amusing as it was to watch the angel eat and watching his reactions (with the way he moaned sometimes you'd think he was having sex) Dean didn't want him to get sick.

It had been like this for a while though with less orgasmic foods. Watching Castiel's reactions and learning his tastes was fun.

Dean learned, which he should have seen earlier, that Castiel did in fact have a sweet tooth. He also had a thing for mint, if the stack of empty peppermint patty wrappers and large bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream were any indication. Dean watched the angel scoop out a large spoonful of ice cream. He shook his head.

"I've created a monster."

Castiel looked up from the tome he had been looking through. Chocolate syrup and a lone sprinkle clung to the corner of his mouth, "What?"

"You," Dean laughed. "Honestly I never expected you to be such a sugar junkie."

Castiel licked syrup from his lips. "I find the snacks most pleasurable."

"One of these days you're going to have so much that you'll start bouncing off the walls or go into a diabetic coma."

Castiel blinked at him, head tilting to the side. "Is this your way of trying to discourage my snacking so you can have these for yourself?"

Yeah, it was no secret that Dean liked deserts, just about as much as he liked greasy food. He held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Oh no, I learned my lesson with the Dew."

On a whim Dean had bought Mountain Dew and ever since the angel's first sip he'd been hooked. Regular Dew and Code Red were his beverage of choice. Dean had finished off a bottle Castiel had intended to drink and had nearly gotten himself smote. He'd gone out and bought a case of each to make up for it. How the angel's stomach wasn't rotting out he didn't know.

It what appeared to be an act of defiance, or victory, Castiel took another large bite of his ice cream. He gave a little hum of satisfaction.

"Definitely created a monster."

And if, later on, Sam noticed the sudden stocking of Mountain dew and mint chocolate chip ice cream in their motel's fridge, he never mentioned it.


	4. Energizer Angel

These seem so much longer until I type them up. I have another one-shot up called "Off Script". If you haven't yet, check it out. Remember, review's make the world go around. And if you have an idea you'd like to see here leave it in a review.

* * *

_**Energizer Angel**_

Dean was slowly, but surely, becoming annoyed, very annoyed. He watched from his place on the floor of Bobby's study as Castiel, who also sat helping he and Bobby research, started to bounce his leg, again. He had no idea what had gotten into the angel but he had been very jittery for the past couple of hours.

The persistent bouncing was causing the toe of his boot to tap on the floor. The noise was a constant rhythm.

"Boy, if you don't stop bouncin' your leg I'm gonna tie it to the chair," Bobby groused from his place at his desk.

Castiel looked up, confused, then down to his leg which he just seemed to notice was moving. By the look on his face it was as if he had no idea why it had been moving in the first place. His leg stopped moving and the study became silent again. They went back to their research.

Not five minutes later the tap, tap, tap of Castiel's boot started up again. Bobby shot Dean a look like he was about to shoot the angel.

"Hey Cass, you okay?" Dean asked.

"I'm fine," Castiel replied, not taking his eyes from his book. He'd been spinning his pen around as well. "Why?"

"Because you seem kind of twitchy and your leg's moving again."

Castiel's leg stopped moving instantly. He looked up from his book. "I apologize. I do not understand why I feel this way."

"What way?"

"I feel as if I need to be moving." As if to confirm the statement his leg and fingers started moving again.

"Cabin fever maybe?" It had been raining the past couple of days, keeping them mostly confined to the house. While that allowed them to continue their research into the apocalypse and a possible way to ice the devil Dean realized that this was probably the longest Castiel had been confined to one location. That probably wouldn't bother the angel under normal circumstances but since Cass no longer had the ability to come and go as he pleased it must have been frustrating.

"You've probably built up some restless energy."

"He's built up something and it's annoying as hell," Bobby said.

Dean stood, putting his book on the desk and moved over to the angel. Like he and Bobby, Castiel had been making notes of anything they'd found that might be useful. Castiel's handwriting went from elegant to looking like chicken scratch.

He had to do something to help the angel burn off his excess energy. Dean's normal method of relaxation was not an option. Besides he wasn't about to explain the mechanics of it to Cass anyway. "Well I've had my fill of research for a while." He pointedly ignored Bobby's comment about his barely researching at all. "What say we go find something to do?"

Castiel opened his mouth, probably to protest, but seemed to decide against it. He placed his books and pen on the floor then followed Dean. He picked up a bottle before they left the study.

Dean couldn't help but notice the nearly empty two liter of Dew. He stopped Cass when they were on the porch. It looked like it had finally stopped raining.

"Hey Cass," Dean suddenly had an idea of where the angel's jitters had come from. Said angel looked at him questioningly. "How much of that have you had?"

Castiel shrugged, a human gesture he seemed to have picked up. "Just this," he replied.

"All of it?"

Castiel held the bottle up. There was only a tiny bit left. "Not yet." He lowered the bottle. "I-did-drink-the-other-bottle-earlier." Even his speech has sped up.

Dean's eyes went wide. "You've drank four liters of Dew? Geeze Cass, no wonder you're jumpy. It's all the caffeine."

"I-don't-understand."

"Caffeine is a stimulant. It raises your heart rate, among other things."

"Oh," Castiel clasped his hands together in an attempt to stop their shaking. It seemed it had become worse once it had been pointed out. "I-wish-I-would-stop-shaking. This-is-unpleasant."

He was starting to speak so fast his words were beginning to blend together. "I told you you'd end up bouncing off the walls someday."

"I cannot bounce off of a wall Dean." And somehow he'd spoken that in his normal deadpan tone.

"It's… never mind. Look, what you need to do us burn off your excess energy. You could always go for a run but you don't exactly have the right footwear for that. Could always play what Sammy and I played as kids."

"What's-that?"

Dean smacked Cass on the shoulder. "Tag," he ran from the porch, "you're it!"

Though traditionally tag was played with more than two people he and Sam had had fun as children chasing each other around. He figured not only would it help Cass burn away the caffeine it would be interesting to see the angel playing a game.

He stopped after a few yards when he didn't hear anyone chasing him. He turned to see Cass still standing on the porch, head tilted to the side, and looking completely confused.

Dean sighed, "You're supposed to chase me Cass."

Confusion turned into understanding. "Oh." Cass practically leapt from the porch.

Dean turned and booked it. Cass was fast. Dean hadn't realized how fast. He had to take sharp corners to avoid being hit. Dean rounded a heap of cars and nearly ran into the angel. Sneaky bastard had circled around the other way.

"Tag," Cass said before running away from Dean.

Dean took a moment to breathe. Two could play that game. After determining which way Castiel had gone Dean circled around to head him off. When Dean rounded the corner Castiel's look of surprise was hilarious. So was watching the angel trying to turn around while still having his forward momentum. He spun on his heel, nearly falling flat on his face in his attempt to get away. Dean caught his arm, the sudden change in direction caused the angel to over balance. Dean moving in the same direction caused the two of them to finally topple over, spinning slightly as they did so.

Dean landed on his back and let out an "ooph" when Castiel landed on top of him. Cass's arms were bent up to brace against Dean's arms and his face was buried in Dean's shirt. He was shaking still but this didn't seem like the shaking he had done earlier.

Cass lifted his head up and this time it was Dean's turn to be surprised. The angel was full on grinning. Dean had never seen that expression on him. He found himself smiling back.

"That was fun."

And it was at that point that Dean realized Cass was still on him. "Yeah," he agreed, "you mind getting off?"

Smile still in place, Castiel stood and held out a hand to help Dean up. "I suppose this means I am it."

Probably but Dean had another idea. "Let's do something else."

"What?"

During their game of tag Dean couldn't help but notice the large puddles that had formed due to the rain. "Something else us human's seem to take pleasure from. It's kind of…" he gestured vaguely with his hands, "something our inner child loves." He pointed to a nearby puddle. "Puddle jumping. You see how high you can splash the water. If you want to. Lots of times it's just plan run to run through them."

With that Dean ran towards the puddle, Cass following suit. Turns out, Castiel laughing, one of the best sounds in the world.


	5. Never Drive Faster

_**Never Drive Faster than Your Guardian Angel can Fly**_

Castiel rode with Dean in the Impala while the Hunter drove them out to an area of Sioux Falls that Castiel had not been to before. He said that he wanted to teach Castiel another aspect of being human but Dean had yet to tell him what that was.

Castiel watched the scenery to by. They had driven through town. Many people were out enjoying the warm weather and sunshine. They passed a play ground where parents had brought their children. He could hear the young ones as they played with one another. He loved children, if he had access to his grace he would be able to see their bright souls. Though no human he had encountered had a soul as bright as Dean's. Dean's soul shone like an angel's grace.

As they moved further away from town buildings gave way to woods and grassland in some areas.

After another twenty minutes or so he realized they were no longer in Sioux Falls. He turned his gaze away from the window towards Dean. The hunter was drumming a beat on the steering wheel. It matched to the song playing on the radio. He didn't know what it was called but he liked it.

"Where are we going Dean?"

"We're almost there," Dean looked at him briefly before returning his gaze to the road.

Castiel decided to simply wait and see. He could tell by the look in Dean's eyes that he wasn't going to get an answer.

Luckily for him he didn't have to wait for long. Dean pulled the Impala into what looked like an empty lot of an abandoned building. The vehicle came to a stop. Castiel looked at their surroundings. He didn't understand why they were here.

"Are we hunting something?" The landscape looked to be the perfect place for such a thing. Also, ever since his grace had been bound Dean had not gone hunting. Castiel felt bad about that. It simply reminded him that he was currently nothing but a burden to Dean and Bobby.

"What, no," Dean said with a shake of his head. "Though this does look like it would be a good place for that. But that's not why we're here." He shut the vehicle off. When he turned to face Castiel there was a large grin plastered on his face. "Today I'm teaching you how to drive."

Castiel blinked at Dean unsure if he had heard right. Silence permeated the vehicle, long enough that Dean's smile began to falter. "You… want me… to drive?" Did he truly sound as nervous as he felt?

"Well, yeah," Dean replied, smile returning. "We don't know exactly how long this is gonna last." He was beginning to look self-conscious. "I thought you'd want to be able to just go somewhere on your own. Jimmy's driver's license is still valid. I didn't think you'd want to have to ask me to drive you somewhere if you wanted to get out."

Castiel looked down at his hands. So he was a burden.

"I'm not saying I mind taking you places," Dean added hastily. Castiel glanced over and saw the blush which had colored the hunter's face. "It's just… An independence thing, you know?"

Castiel had not truly appreciated his ability to go anywhere he pleased at will until he no longer could. Driving wouldn't be the same, not by a long shot, but he would try. For Dean's sake. "All right," he said, trying to keep his nervousness from filtering in to his voice. "What do I have to do?"

"First, we need to switch places." Dean undid his seat belt and got out of the Impala.

Castiel followed suite moving around the front of the vehicle and taking Dean's place in the driver's seat. Like he had on the other side of the car, he buckled his seat belt. Castiel felt his nervousness increase. His hands started to shake slightly, feeling similar to when he had had too much caffeine.

"Now normally when you get in a car they key won't be in the ignition," Dean started to explain. He pointed to where his keys hung in an area before Castiel. "Each car has a key made specifically for it. Now when you turn the key the car will turn over. Once you hear the engine start let go of the key. Go ahead and turn her over."

Castiel took a steadying breath and did as he was told. The Impala roared to life. He quickly let go of the key. Castiel felt a smile pull at his lips.

"Great," Dean turned down the radio. "Okay, so. See the long leaver on the right side of the steering column?"

Castiel looked, pointing to the lever he found. "This?"

"Yep. Now," Dean reached over and pointed to an area behind the wheel which had gages of some king displayed. "This is the dash board. You see the area with the P, R, N, D, one and two?" Castiel nodded. "That is where your gears are displayed. Right now you only have to worry about the first four. The P is for park, R for reverse, N for neutral, and D for drive. You also have the speedometer and a few other gages. Only worry about the speedometer for now."

"Which one is the… speedometer?"

Dean pointed to the gage above the letters. "This one. This tells you your speed. As you can see it shows in five mile intervals. For now you probably won't be going over thirty-five.

"The lever on the left of the steering column is for your turn signals, windshield wipers and head lights. Again, don't need to worry about those right this second. Though for the turn signals push the lever up for right and down for left."

Castiel nodded, taking in all of the information Dean was giving him. It seemed easy enough, really. _So why do I feel as if my insides are turning?_ he thought.

Dean's tone was one of utmost patience. It was strange for Castiel. He knew Dean had patience, when he wanted it, but ever since he had been bound Dean had been nothing but patient in everything he taught him. Actually Dean seemed excited whenever he was teaching Castiel something new about being human.

He realized his nervousness was causing his breaths to come in short bursts. He had no reason to be acting as he was. He deepened his breaths, feeling himself begin to calm.

"You good?" Dean asked.

Castiel nodded, "Yes, my apologies."

"It's fine." Dean replied with a wave of his hand. "A lot of people get nervous the first time they drive. I know I freaked."

"This is a right of passage for humans correct?"

"Sort of," Dean shrugged. "New cars have a safety feature which won't allow you to move the shifter without putting the break down. The Impala doesn't have that but it's a good practice. You see those peddles on the floor?"

Castiel leaned back and looked towards his feet. There were two peddles that he could see. One long and one wide.

"The one on the left is the brake and the gas is on the right. The gas can be a little sensitive so just ease onto it when you get going. To put the car in drive pull the shift towards you and down. You'll see the orange line by the 'P' move. Stop when it's at the 'D'. Don't forget to hold the brake down."

Taking the wheel in his hands like he had seen Dean do before he used his left foot to hold down the brake. He then reached for the shift, doing as Dean had instructed. He felt a slight difference in the Impala's tone when it was in drive. Carefully he pressed down on the gas.

The engine roared and the tires spun, a high pitched screech came from somewhere. Yet they did not go anywhere.

"Whoa, stop!" Dean yelled over the sound of the screeching tires.

Immediately Castiel took his feet off the peddles. The Impala lurched forward. He pressed on the brake, causing the vehicle to stop. He glanced at Dean out of the corner of his eyes. He knew Dean loved his car, probably more than he should. Castiel hoped he hadn't broken it.

"Um," Dean leaned over for a second. "Sorry, that was my fault. I didn't think to tell you… Baby's an automatic, if he was a standard there would be three peddles. It all has to do with the transmission, which you don't need to know so don't worry about it. What you do need to know is that you only use your left foot when driving a standard so that you can press down on the clutch."

"I use my right foot for both the brake and gas?"

"Yeah, as I said, my fault. I just assumed you would know." He shrugged, "You know what they say about people who assume."

Castiel's eyebrows drew together in confusion. "No, what do they say?"

Dean opened his mouth to answer then shook his head. "Let's try this again huh?"

Castiel gave a quick nod, placing his hands back on the wheel. He took a breath to steady himself and took his foot off of the brake. Gently he placed it on the gas. The Impala went forward. With no idea where they were going he tried to keep the vehicle as straight as he could.

"Turn when you get towards the end of the pavement."

"Which direction?"

"Doesn't matter really, though I'd go right. More room. And Baby doesn't exactly turn on a dime."

Castiel turned his head to look at Dean. "Turn on a dime?"

"Eyes forward Cass!"

Castiel instantly turned his gaze forward, which was good because the vehicle had started to drift. Castiel gently turned the wheel to correct. If this was all there was to driving then it didn't seem too hard.

When he was near the end of the pavement Castiel turned the wheel to the right like Dean had instructed. The Impala didn't instantly turn like he thought it would, instead only slightly drifting in that direction. He turned the wheel further and finally the Impala turned.

"Just so you know, you want to slow down when you're making turns. Right now you're fine since you're not going very fast. There's also a lot of things you'll have to watch for when you're on the road. Other vehicles, people, animals, weather conditions—"

"Weather conditions?"

"Ice in the winter for example. Ice is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, hazard during the winter. All vehicles slip and slide on it."

Castiel listened as Dean continued with his explanations, learning about the rules of the road, what various signs meant. Apparently a yellow light did not mean to slow down but to try and get passed before the light turned red. From the grin on Dean's face as he told him this Castiel figured that it wasn't true.

Castiel drove around the abandoned lot, making laps and doing as Dean instructed. After about an hour Dean had him stop. "Do you want to try out on the road for a bit?"

Castiel had been fine with going around the lot. The thought of going out with other vehicles made him a little uneasy.

"You don't have to if you don't want to," Dean said, seeming to sense Castiel's discomfort.

"I would like to try," Castiel replied after a few moments of thought.

"All right."

Dean gave directions and soon enough Castiel found himself going fifty-five miles per-hour down a few back roads. There were only a few other cars on the road.

Everything was going fine until a red car came up behind them and stayed too close for Castiel's comfort. His fingers were beginning to hurt from gripping the wheel too hard. He could feel his heart hammering in his chest. His nerves were getting him again.

"Breathe Cass," Dean said, having noticed the white knuckle grip. "We'll be fine. Besides, there's a stop sign coming up. We'll turn down another road."

Castiel could see the red sign with the word 'STOP' written across it. Looking in the rear view mirror he saw that the red car had backed off. He gave an internal sigh of relief, starting to break when he was close enough to the sign.

The Impala came to a stop, only to jolt forward suddenly. Castiel hit his head on the steering wheel hard enough to have spots dance in his vision. He cried out from shock, surprise and pain.

"Son of a bitch!" Dean cursed.

Castiel rubbed his forehead, already feeling a lump forming. His heart hurt and he tasted blood.

"Are you okay Cass?"

Castiel nodded, "Yes Dean. Are you—"

Dean climbed out of the Impala before Castiel could finish his question. He didn't know what he had done wrong. Twisting around in his seat he saw the red car pressed against the Impala's back end. Dean was yelling at the driver of the other vehicle.

Castiel placed the Impala in park and shut the vehicle off. Gingerly he climbed out as well. A wave of dizziness hit him and he gripped the door to keep from falling over. He turned towards Dean and the other driver, a young man by the look of him.

"You obviously weren't paying attention," Dean was yelling. "You're just lucky no one was seriously hurt.

"Dean," Castiel's voice sounded weak to his ears but apparently Dean had heard him since he turned.

A look of alarm crossed the hunter's face. "Cass?" Castiel tipped his head in confusion but it felt as if his head kept falling. "Cass!"

The world around him went dark.

* * *

When Castiel opened his eyes again a faint light illuminated the room he was occupying at Bobby's house. His head still hurt something fierce.

"Welcome back Sleeping Beauty."

Dean's voice was low and Castiel turned his head to see the hunter sitting in a chair beside the bed.

"What happened?"

"You passed out," Dean replied. "I thought you were concussed at first from hitting your head on the wheel. You do have a pretty nasty lump but you'll be fine."

Castiel remembered driving and coming to a stop then something causing the Impala to jolt forward suddenly. "I'm sorry."

Dean looked confused, "For what?"

Castiel looked away, gazing up at the ceiling. "Your vehicle. I—"

"Cass," Dean interrupted. "That wasn't your fault. You did everything right. You're actually a pretty good driver for your first time. No, the fault lies with the idiot teenager who would rather make out with his girlfriend than pay attention to the road."

"But, the Impala…"

"She's made of strong stuff. She's barely got a bump. Unlike the plastic piece of crap that hit her." When Castiel chanced a glance at Dean he saw the hunter smiling. "It's nothing I can't fix. Couple years back we were hit by a semi, totaled Baby." A shadow crossed his features at the memory. Castiel suspected there was more to it but he didn't press for information. "If I can bring her back from that then a little fender bender is nothing. I'm more concerned about you."

Now Castiel was confused, "Why?"

"Cass, you passed out and you've been asleep ever since. I'm sorry I didn't see it before but, when was the last time you slept?"

"Just now."

Dean shook his head. "You need to sleep Cass."

"You do not need much sleep."

"True, but I'm used to it. You're not. Why aren't you sleeping?"

Castiel turned on his side, facing Dean, to get more comfortable. "I need to stay awake."

"Why? What do you do at night?"

Though Castiel did not have access to his powers he was still able to move about just as silently as before. Something he knew annoyed the hunter. He would search through the books in Bobby's study looking for ways to defeat Lucifer. "Research," he replied simply.

"Why do you need to do research at oh dark thirty?"

Castiel didn't understand the reference. "To be useful. I'm useless like this Dean. You haven't hunted since I became human-"

"Temporarily."

"-and I feel I must do something to make myself less of a burden to you and Bobby."

Dean's gaze and tone softened. "You're not a burden Cass." He sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "I'm looking at this as a little vacation. Yeah, we're still looking for a way to ice the devil but right now that's not my main concern. I've got something more important to take care of at the moment."

Castiel felt his eyes becoming heavy again. His whole body seemed to sag into the bed. Vaguely he heard Dean moving around then felt the blanket being tucked around him once more. A hand ran through his hair and he reached his hand up to grab Dean's.

"Thank you Dean."

"Go to sleep Cass," Dean whispered.

Castiel fell asleep, completely oblivious to Dean's continued vigil over him.


End file.
